The Asheville citizen. [volume] (Asheville, N.C.) 1885-1889, 1887-04-13
a VERMONT SPRING.


citizen of Vermont, written to Capt
Atkinson, editor of The Land of the Shy,
we are permitted to Use from advance
sheets of that popular publication. We
invite the careful attention of our readers
to the condition of affairs in other Climes
on the Sth day of this month, in this
year of grace A. D. 1887. We published
few days ago letter giving an account
OF the glorious winter weather enjoyed
on the Sd and 4th in Wisconsin. We
now give the report from the Northeast.
Mr.. Boynton writes
WooDsTooK, VERMONT, April s, 'S7.
Friend atkinson =
1t may be you and possibly some read
ers of your paper, may be pleased with
some Spring notes from a Vermont val
ley. This makes one hundred and thirty
Sax consecutive days that have been.
doing business in a sleigh, and according
to present indications shall make the
number one hundred and fifty before 1
can make trip on wheels The solid
snow and ice is now one and a half to
two feet deep in our streets. There are
many banks of snow where it has been
shoVeled from the side walks-six feet
high. The paths that lead from one
house to another in our village, are more
like canals than walks. In the morning
when the snow is frozen we can walk
across lots in any direction, only Just the
tops of the fences being in sight above
the surface of the white frozen crust.
over many of our fields there is depth
OF four feet of snow and in the woods five
to six. We have had but two DAYS thus
far this Spring when the air has been
warm enough to soften the snow banks.
Yet the sun is now so high that its direct
rays causes the water from the melting
snow to run into the streets, every clear
day. but as soon as the sun is out of
sight, they all are frozen again
March held us with a terrible grip
down to the very last day. This is al
ways our severest month of the whole
year, but this year it seems to have out
done itself Every morning for the last
ten or twelve days Of the month, the
mercury went down to zero and below
and during the whole day the wind would
blow with fearful power. This morn
ing for the first time l heard robin and
a blue bird singing in the trees. The
faces OF our farmers are long and sad, for
no maple sngar can be made in such
weather The sugar season usually
commences by the twentieth of March.
and many times is all passed by this date.
If we add to the lateness of the time
when they can begin to make sugar this
year, the fact that the ground is not
frozen at all, then there is double cause
for mourning over the loss of one great
source of revenue to the Vermont farmer.
The early SHOWS of last autumn came
down before the ground was much frozen,
and the great amount of snow that has
fallen during the winter, has kept the
earth so warm, that the autumn freezing
has long since given away, and as soon
as the snow melts away our fie isJWili be
ready for the plough. We now dig down
through four feet of snow and pull up
nice fresh parsnips, from the mellow
garden soil These facts will no doubt
look little discouraging to the farmers
in your valleys, who have already put in
their small grains and are making ready
their fields for their corn. But tell them
to wait thirty days, and at the end of
that time, bearing in mind what have
written on this eighth day of April, l
will tell them what our farmers are about
on the eighth day of May. During the
past winter 1 have written and talked
much to my people about the advantages
Western North Carolina offers to the
New Enland emigrant, and some result
may come from the work 1 have done.
The copies of your paper you have sent
have made good use of among MY
friends. They have been eagerly read,
and more would be heartily welcomed.
From my friends in Asheville, 1 hear
of the rapid improvements made there
during the pas: year, and of still greater
ones pred cted for the coming season.
All hail! to the rising glories of that fair
city in your Land of the Sky 1t is nv
hope by day and my dream by night to
meet you and other friends there, before
am showed in here for another winter,
and meantime let me hope to be remem-
bered as one among the many who sub-
scribe themselves,
Yours most truly,
HENRY BoYNToN.